Gatti's log

[cjgatti]

I have been a lurker for a while, but I figured I’d jump in with a training log/blog. I just finished up grad school so I have a little more time to devote to training and documenting things. I have been a gymnast since I was about 4, competed through college, and have managed to defy the common notion that grad school and training/exercising do not go together. With school over with now, I can change my workouts from more strength-based to more gymnastics-based. As I get back into the swing of things (pun intended), I’ll try to document things here. You probably won’t understand most of it, just ask if you have questions.

Stats
Age: 25
Height: 5’3”
Weight: ~142# (not too sure, haven’t checked in a while)
BF: low (not sure, never been measured)

Goals
1) Have fun
2) Stay healthy
3) Not really sure beyond the first two...still trying to figure things out

[cjgatti]

5.1.2007

High bar:
- Hop half turns, blind changes, pirouettes, quasts, flyaway - warmup
- Kovacs – caught 1 of 3…tested out the tap and flip on the first two, caught the third; I haven’t done these in a couple months so I was a little weary of my shoulder on the catch
- Wrong-grip endo pirouette (WGEP), stalder, stalder fulls – good sequences, stalder fulls are getting quick and easy
- Half-takamoto work on the low bar – playing around, trying to get used to the feeling…I’ve never been much of a in-bar endo person, so this type of skill is completely new to me

Rings:
- Lock arm giants – good, tight, solid handstand
- Backuprise straddle planche – surprisingly good…never tried swinging to a straddle planche before
- Backuprise planche (no straddle) – again, surprisingly good…never swung to this either

Tramp:
- Ballouts, ballout variations – just trying to get some airsense back, I’ll play more tomorrow

Strength:
- Still rings (SR) - muscle up (5), L, pike press, handstand (HS) hold (10sec), support swings (10)
- Parallel bars (PB) - pike press (3), straddle press (3)
- Leg lifts (12)
- Pullups (10)
- PB dips (30)
- Jump rope (1min x 2)
- HS hold (1min)

Ice: right shoulder (AC joint)
Workout time: 2hrs

I had graduation this past weekend and was on a business trip yesterday, so I was eating out all weekend and I definitely kinda felt like ass today. However, I did manage to hit the gym (good, long, volume strength workouts…i.e., damage control) before all the activities over the weekend. High bar, rings, and tramp were surprisingly good though…probably due to the fact that I wasn’t in the gym yesterday. The strength workout today was just to get my body going, nothing too strenuous.

[cjgatti]

5.2.2007

Tramp:
- Ballout rudis
- Ballout double fulls – felt pretty good, quick and easy, I’ll try some ballout randis next time
- Front 1 and ¾, ballout double front, ballout barani (combo) – feeling good, getting some quickness back
- Double pike barani outs

Strength:
- SR: kip maltese (spotted) (5sec x 3)
- SR: jump maltese (spotted) (5sec x 2)
- SR: maltese (ring belt) (5sec x 4, -20#)
- SR: cross (5sec x 3, w/ weight vest, 4 inserts)
- SR: cross (8sec x 2, bw)
- PB: straight-straights (2 x 4)
- Maltese DB press (4 x 10, 25# each)
- BB bench (3 x 5, 155#; 3 x 5, 165#; 1 x 10, 135#)
- Jump rope (1min x 4)
- HS hold (1.5min)

Ice: none
Workout time: 2.2hrs

Was headed to the gym earlier in the day, then got called into a meeting which ticked me off pretty good (there’s nothing I hate more than having schedule gym time postponed)…finally got there about 3 hours later. Had a good workout however with good energy. Tramp is feeling good; my awareness and quickness is coming back. Ring strength is also feeling good; it finally feels like I’ve put together a pretty good program that’s not like running through quicksand.

[cjgatti]

5.3.2007

High Bar:
- Warmup (hop halves, quasts, blinds, piros)
- Double quast to one arm (with mat thrown in) – starting to feel more confident/consistent, caught 2/4
- Double layouts, double lay 1/1
- Stalder, stalder fulls (low bar)

Strength:
- Front squats (4 x 5, 135#, 145#, 140#, 135#)
- Clean and press (1 x 4, 135#)
- Deadlifts (quick pulls) (4 x 5, 215#)
- BB rows (4 x 5, 135#)


- Circuit x 2 (no rest btw exs):

- Bulgarian split squats (10 each leg, 25# DBs)
- Stiff-legged DB deadlift (10, 50# DBs)
- Walking lunges (20, 25# DBs)
- Leg lifts (10)
- 1 arm DB snatch (5 each, 50# DB)
- Reverse hypers (10)
- 1 DB farmer’s walk (~100 ft, 50# DB)
- Mat jumps (10, 30”)
- Forward mat (sled) pull, backward mat pull (1 each, 70#)
- Sprint (1, ~80”)

- Jump rope (1min x 4)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Dips (30)
- Shoulder prehab

Ice: right shoulder (AC joint, precautionary)
Workout time: 2.75hrs

I was kinda dead heading in to workout today. However, after I got going, things turned around. High bar was real good. The double quast is coming along nicely and hopefully I can start swinging a one-arm giant out of it soon. I suppose you could say I am shying away from the actual rules that routines are governed by, and am more interested in fun and ‘bag-of-tricks’ types of skills. Dismounts were also good…I am getting some quickness and power back and they are flipping real good. I also didn’t want to do legs today. Again, after I got going, things felt good and I got the job done. Circuits suck, but I needed something more aerobic.

Dan John has said that every 1 in 5 workouts is really good. I think this was one of those 1 in 5 workouts. I was on high bar for about an hour…things were going well and I couldn’t pull myself away. Long live long days in the gym.

I think the atmosphere in the gym was also a contributing factor; the other guys were all working hard and doing some good stuff. I guess I am the old guy in the gym, so I kinda see a division between me and the younger guys. Nonetheless, I feel like there’s a nice symbiotic relationship between us. They all say they like to have me in the gym, and I like working out with them. I wonder who benefits more…me feeding off them, or them feeding off me.

[cjgatti]

So I’m really glad I did legs on Thursday. Why’s that? Shortly after workout, I was on my friend’s fixed-gear bike, and having never been on one, I forgot the only rule he told me…that is to never stop pedaling. I was crushing a hill when I stopped pedaling; the pedal came around and whacked me in the ankle and gave me a nice wide and deep gash. Long story short, I had to go to the ER and get 4 stitches. The ankle is really stiff and kinda black and blue. Needless to say I won’t be doing legs for a couple weeks at least, and neither will I be doing much swinging for a week or so. The stitches can come out in about 12 days and hopefully I’ll have full range of motion by then too.

[cjgatti]

5.5.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L (3sec), planche (5sec), support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [kip L (3sec), pike press x 2, straddle press x 1, support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [(back kip L (3sec), hollowback press, support hold (10sec)) x 3)] (x 2)
- SR: [back kip HS, 5 handstand pushups, support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [muscle up L (3sec), straddle planche (5sec), straddle press (20sec), support hold (20sec)] (x 2)


- Tri-set (x 5 sets):

- Pullups/chinups (10)
- Handstand pushups (HSPU) (10)
- Leg lifts (10)

- Dips (30)
- HS hold (1min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.75hrs

I am home (MA) for about 6 days, so I went back to my old gym. My ankle is keeping me off any events and tramp, so I’m sticking to upper body strength for a while. Really good workout today too; my endurance and general strength on rings is coming along nicely.

I like coming back to my old gym to show off stuff that I picked up over the previous few months. Usually it’s some tricks on events, and while I have some new ones this time, it looks like they’ll have to debut next time I’m home. Regardless, it’s still fun being the ‘really old guy’ in the gym.



Conversation of the day between a class kid (~7 year old girl) and an instructor:

Girl: Something to the tune of “What’s wrong with him? Why is he so big?” (referring to me working out)
Instructor: “Guys have different stuff inside of them.”

[gregl515]

Welcome! Good looking stuff!

[cjgatti]

5.7.2007

Strength:
- SR: kip maltese (spotted) (4sesc x 5)
- SR: cross hold (5sec x 5, bw)
- SR: cross pull, cross hold (cross machine) (1 pull @ ~1RM and 5sec hold x 5)
- SR: straddle planche (5sec x 2)
- PB: straight-straights (2 x 5)
- PB: dips (8 x 3, 10 year old kid (~70#))
- PB: dips (3 x 2, 15 year old kid (~130#))
- Shoulder prehab
- HS hold (1.5min)

Workout time: 2.2hr

Went back to the old gym again today. Didn’t do any swinging because of my ankle, so I stuck to strength. It’s hard to keep the same ring workouts going to different gyms because of the different equipment. Nonetheless, I got in a good workout, hit the main ingredients, and worked hard. Workout was a little longer than planned; that’s another thing about going back to the old gym…there are lots of little kids around and waiting for them to take turns adds some time. But, those kids do come in handy though…they are great for adding dynamic weight to dips. The ankle is doing better. The stitches are fine and the laceration is healing nicely and I am getting some range of motion back and can walk normally now.

[cjgatti]

5.8.2007

Run:
- ~2 miles on sandy trail w/ ~10# backpack (untimed)

I wasn’t heading down to the gym today so I was itching for some activity with it being about 80 degrees out and beautiful. I ended up going for a light run down a trail that runs along some powerlines. It felt good considering I haven’t done anything that aerobic in about 8 months, and that it was on sand with a pack. The ankle felt good too; I was watching every step pretty carefully and nothing uneventful happened.

[cjgatti]

5.9.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L (3sec), planche (5sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [kip L (3sec), pike press x 2, straddle press x 1, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [(back kip L (3sec), hollowback press, hollow support hold (10sec)) x 3)] (x 2)
- SR: [back kip HS, 5 handstand pushups, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [muscle up L (3sec), straddle planche (5sec), straddle press (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)


- Tri-set (x 4 sets):

- Pullups/chinups (13, 13, 12, 12)
- HSPU (13, 13, 12, 12)
- Leg lifts (13, 13, 12, 12)

- Dips (35)
- Horizontal pull-ups (12 x 3)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.6hrs

Really hard workout tonight; I think it was mostly due to the fact that I reduced rest times. I finished the ring work and the tri-set stuff in about 24 minutes each. The gym was pretty empty tonight and there were only some team girls around, so it was kinda like workouts that I’m used to. That is, no one around to talk to, just focus and work out.

I can definitely tell I am getting a strong base (i.e., GPP) on rings as my endurance is getting better and strength moves are getting easier. I throw the support holds in there at the end of each turn as it is almost the most basic type of ring strength, so a few seconds here and there add up. I did them a little more hollow today and definitely felt a difference. I’m wondering if this will transfer to maltese strength at all because I have never felt much chest activation during malteses…we’ll find out. The tri-set stuff was damn tough and I was approaching that throwing up feeling, but that might have been the heat. I switched up the rep/set scheme from last time but still got in 50 reps each. All in all, real good workout.

[cjgatti]

5.11.2007

High bar:
- Warmup (hop halves, quasts, blinds, piros) – felt good and quick
- Rybalko to 1 arm el-grip, hop full spin to 1 arm el-grip, hop pirouette – combo from my old routine; not worth much anymore (despite the fact that very few can do it), but fun and flashy
- Stalder full work (low bar)

Strength (upper body):
- SR: maltese (ring belt) (5sec x 6, -25#)
- SR: invert, cross (ring belt) (5sec each x 4, -25#)
- SR: [kip L (3sec), pike press (5sec), back kip L (3 sec), hollowback (5sec), front lever (3 sec)] (x 2)
- PB: [pike press (x 4), straddle press (x 4)] (x 2)
- Rope climb (1 x 2)
- HSPU (10 x 2)
- Dips (35)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Rear delt raises (10 x 4, 10#)

Strength (lower body):
- Single leg ¼ squat (10 each x 2, bw)
- Step-ups (10 x 2, bw)
- 2 DB walking lunges (24 x 2, 20# each)
- 2 DB stiff-legged deadlifts (12 x 2, 50# each)
- Ankle theraband rehab

Ice: right shoulder (AC joint), left ankle
Workout time: 2.5hrs

I am back in Michigan and it was definitely nice to get back in the gym with the guys. I swung a little high bar, which felt good after not swinging for a week or so, but stuck to simpler, more technical skills so I didn’t have to land hard with my ankle. I needed a little ‘get going’ workout so I did a lighter full-body strength workout. The lower body stuff was very light because my ankle still doesn’t have full range of motion (though it’s close). My AC joint was a little sore, which is probably due to the weighted dips the other day and the 1 arm work on high bar today. I suppose the dips are avoidable, but the 1 arm stuff is too damn fun.

I can definitely tell I have some compensatory mechanism going on with my left leg due to my ankle; well that and a little loss of leg strength from trying to stay off of the leg for a week. It felt good to do some light leg strength today and attempt to get some normal activation. I was thinking of just doing the rehab-type stuff on just my left (involved) leg, but then tried it with the other leg. I think it was a good think, because after doing some of the exercises, I could definitely tell that I had different activation patterns between the two legs. In doing the rehab with my uninvolved leg, I could tell what I should be shooting for, and then tried to mimic that with the involved leg. This once again reaffirms something I have learned in the past few years…your body tells you things, but only if you listen.

[cjgatti]

5.13.2007

Strength:
- SR: maltese (ring belt) (4sec x 9, -20#) – last 2 higher for better chest activation
- SR: cross (5sec x 3, w/ weight vest, 6 inserts)
- SR: cross (6sec x 2, bw)
- PB: straight-straights (2 x 4)
- Maltese DB press (4 x 5, 30# each)
- BB bench (3 x 5, 165#)
- BB close-grip bench (3 x 5, 145#; 1 x 10, 135#)
- HS hold (1.5min)

Ice: right shoulder (precautionary)
Workout time: 1.75hrs

Good workout today. It was the first real ring strength day after going home for a week and I actually felt pretty strong, not heavy/weak on anything really. Malteses and crosses are coming along; maybe by the end of the summer I’ll have a solid maltese on my own and a full cross pull…that would be nice. The bench work is feeling good too and I am really starting to think that is contributing to some maltese strength. I am almost thinking having a day where I do bench work first, then some supplemental ring strength…hmm.

I was at my friend’s house all yesterday landscaping, moving dirt, rocks, and trees…all good stuff. I definitely felt work and realize how much a sedentary job (e.g., student) diminishes your work capacity. I use to do tons of work outside when I was at home during grade school and high school, and I really do miss that. Hopefully this summer I can get out a little more and do some real work.

The ankle is feeling really good. I think yesterday with all the moving around actually helped it a lot. I taped it up really good and it felt pretty strong throughout the day. Working around the yard exposed it to some true functional stability exercises…walking on unstable dirt and grass, moving and stretching in all directions. It’s not sore today at all and I can go up stairs completely normal now. I have almost full range of motion compared to the uninvolved side, so I’ll keep working on that in addition to getting back some strength.

[samba]

Hi there!

I am intrigued by your workouts; great stuff!! I will certainly be following you along in here.

[cjgatti]

5.14.2007

Just realized I never defined my set/rep lingo. So, 10 x 4 would be 4 sets of 10.

Strength:
- Deadlifts (quick pulls) (5 x 5, 215#)
- Clean and press (4 x 4, 115#)
- BB rows (10 x 4, 115#)
- 2 DB walking lunges (20 x 5, 35# DBs)


- Circuit x 3 (no rest btw exs or circuits):

- Bulgarian split squats (12 each leg, 12# DBs)
- Stiff-legged DB deadlift (12, 35# DBs)
- Leg lifts (12)
- 1 arm DB snatch (6 each, 35# DB)
- Reverse hypers (12)
- 2 DB farmer’s walk (~120 ft, 35s# DB)

- Dips (35)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Shoulder prehab

Ice: left ankle
Workout time: 1.5hrs

I was at a job orientation for about 8.5 hours today, sitting and listening to people talk. Sitting and staying in one place drives me nuts and starts to hurt my back after a while. Fortunately one day of sitting didn’t aggravate anything…aside from my mental state. The whole day kinda drained me for workout. But, like usual, once I got in the gym and got going, the lethargy took a back seat and I had plenty of energy.

Workout was good. It was the first day back to some real leg strength. I still have the stitches in, and it’s still a little stiff at the end ranges of motion, but I taped it up and it did well. I modified a few exercises and the circuits to accommodate the ankle, but still got in a good workout.

My numbers may seem a little low in terms of leg strength. I have found that this intensity of workout is sufficient to keep my back and legs healthy and strong without taking so much out of me that my gymnastics-type workouts are hindered. Sure, I would love to go all out on deadlifts at some point, but currently I have to set aside my ego and make those numbers wait…which is pretty tough mentally.

[cjgatti]

5.15.2007

HB:
- Warmup (hop halves, blinds, piros)
- Kovacs – swing felt good, good distance on 2/5 for catch
- WGEP, stalder fulls
- Half-tak work (low bar) – getting the feel of this skill a little now, hopefully do a little more next time with a spot

SR:
- Back lockarms
- Inlocate, front lockarm – surprisingly good considering I’ve never really had this and haven’t tried these in about 3 months

- Dips (35)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Shoulder prehab

Had another orientation session in the morning which killed my energy for workout again. But, also again, I woke up pretty well once I got going in the gym. High bar felt good as it was the first day I was really swinging since the ankle injury. The kovacs felt good, but I was a little weary of catching and also missing and landing. I didn’t really worry about catching today, just getting back the feel of the skill more than anything. Rings felt real good too. I think the last time I really swung was over 3 weeks ago, but everything comes back like riding a bike.

I got the stitches out today. The laceration is a little open at the ends, but it’s doing well. The ankle feels good after leg strength yesterday and the range of motion is still improving with less and less to get back. I bounced a little tramp today and did some short landings just to test it out. I am compensating on those things, but then again, it was the first day testing that out.

Real good dinner tonight too. I called it the Mexican Taco-less salad: ground turkey with taco seasoning, red and green peppers, tomato, onion, cole slaw cabbage, avocado, salsa, Tabasco, cheddar cheese, and black pepper and cilantro to season.

[cjgatti]

5.16.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L (3sec), planche (5sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [kip L (3sec), pike press x 2, straddle press x 1, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [(back kip L (3sec), hollowback press) x 4, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [muscle up L (3sec), straddle planche (5sec), straddle press (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)

- SR: maltese (ring belt) (6sec x 5, -25#)
- SR: invert, cross (ring belt) (6sec each x 3, -25#)

- Rope climb (no legs) (1.5 (i.e., up, down, half-way up, down) x 2)
- HSPU (14, 15)
- Dips (35)
- Horizontal pull-ups (25)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.7hrs

I added another back kip, hollowback to the second sequence, and wow, it got me pretty tired for those turns. I took out the ring HSPU, not because I was dead from the other stuff, but because they really didn’t serve a purpose, and because I could spend the energy elsewhere. It was a lighter day for malteses, inverts, and crosses, all of which felt real good…good position and control. Everything else felt good despite being pretty tired…again. Tomorrow’s a day off, kinda because I am pretty sore, but more because I am a little unmotivated right now. One day out of the gym usually cures the latter and I can work through the former.

[cjgatti]

5.18.2007

HB:
- Warmup (hop halves, blinds, piros)
- Kovacs – felt really good, caught 2 of 6
- WGEP, stalder fulls – real good and quick

SR:
- Back lockarms
- Inlocate, front lockarm

Strength:
- SR: [muscle up (6), L straddle press, HS hold (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 1)
- 2 DB walking lunges (30 x 1, 25#s)
- PB: [pike press (5), straddle press (4)] (x 1)
- 2 DB SLDL (20 x 1, 50#s)
- Pullups (12 x 1)
- Leg lifts (15 x 1)
- HSPU (12 x 1)
- Reverse hypers (20 x 1)
- Dips (35 x 1)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.75hrs

Had a real good ‘lunch break’ workout today. Staying out of the gym yesterday got my head back in the game, and really got me going to get after the kovacs again after a somewhat dismal day earlier in the weak. The swing and awareness is coming back in that I can really start to play with the skill again. On the first 4, I was getting my bearings, then caught the next 2 real easy. Oh yeah, here is a kovacs (that video isn’t me); it’s the first skill, the flippy-do over the bar...but I do it way better. The second is a gienger; I do that too, but from one arm. Also did a quick strength workout just to get my body going after the day off. Everything was pretty easy and everything only took about 12 minutes. In and out pretty quick (ok, not that quick) with a good workout…badda-bing, badda-boom.